Joetta Clark Diggs inspires Tech athletes as part of Leaders for Life Program

Oct 16, 2013

By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information Coordinator

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – What does it take to be a champion?
The most common responses might include a strong work ethic,
athletic ability, and lots and lots of practice. And that all plays
a part.

But to truly understand what it takes to be a champion, there
may be no better method than to absorb the knowledge and
experiences endured by one of the best. That’s exactly what
motivational speaker Joetta Clark Diggs provided to Tennessee
Tech’s female student-athletes Wednesday evening, as the
four-time Olympian spoke to the Golden Eagles about her life and
career in the latest session of the Dr. M. Dianne Murphy Leaders
for Life Program.

Considered by sports enthusiasts as “America’s most
successful middle distance runner” ever because of her
longevity and consistency, Clark Diggs has been running for more
than 28 consecutive years, never missing an indoor or outdoor
season, with her races being in the 800 and 1500 meters. An
Olympian in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000, Joetta Clark Diggs has
displayed more consistency and longevity than any other American
half-miler.

She has competed in every outdoor USA Championship or Olympic
Trials since 1979, winning five of the last eight. Indoors, she has
been in the national championship race in 18 of the last 19 years.
Not surprisingly, Clark Diggs has ranked among the top 10 Americans
for 21 years now. Clark Diggs has been ranked in the top 10 in the
world since 1991. Moreover, in 1997 at age 37, she was ranked
number four in the world. This was her best ranking.

On the evening, Clark Diggs began by letting the Tech athletes
know that everyone has an "A" game. It's your "B" game and your
willingness to follow the five "P" Principles of Success (also the
title of her book) that lead to becoming a champion.

She stressed that everyone has an "A" game. It's part of who you
are. Part of your persona. And the "A" game has a deeper meaning.
In your "A" game, you are Aware, you Got it, you are All in, you
are Motivated, and you are Empowered. These are all things that you
can control.

But what happens when your "A" game isn't enough or something
gets in the way of your "A" game?

Clark Diggs taught that you need to remember what your purpose
is. You need to think about how you prepare. You have to be patient
because failing does not make you a failure, quitting does. You
have to get perturbed or upset and use that to persevere. These
five "P"s are needed to transition into the key to being a
champion. Your "B" game.

Not everyone has a "B" game. It is what sets the champions apart
from the rest. Champions have the ability to Bounce back when
something goes wrong. They know how to Get after it when they don't
have a good start or when they are behind. They will then Apply
their skill sets. They use the things they learn along their way.
They have to Make it happen because often times in life, it comes
down to that last inch (I Never Cease Hoping). To overcome that
inch, they have to Elevate their game to another level and never
get complacent in their goals.

One of the best of her time, Clark Diggs presented a great
example of the "A" game, "B" game, and transitioning between the
two. In her trek to qualify for the 2000 Olympic team, she recalled
(with video evidence) that she quickly fell to the back of the
pack. Her "A" game was already not enough if she was to qualify.
She showed that throughout the 800m race, how she transitioned from
her "A" game to "B" game using the five "P"s to success. And with
that determination and the strength of her "B" game, she was able
to just eke out a third-place finish (by maybe an inch) to qualify
with her sister and sister-in-law.

The inspiring story led her to her final point. Champions don't
wait for someone else to make something happen for them. They go
out there and make it happen themselves. Champions don't give up.
They know they have to work for it. Most people have enough to be
successful because they have their "A" game. But to be the best,
you need a "B" game.